Karnataka Election: Independents, Small Parties Win Four Seats As Congress Registers Thumping Victory

Congress National President Mallikarjun Kharge on Saturday said that the party's impressive performance in the Karnataka election is the victory of "Janata Janardhan".

New Delhi: As the Congress registered a thumping victory in the Karnataka Assembly Elections with 136 seats, BJP, that had put up a close contest, came a distant second with 65 seats after the results to the 224-member House were announced on Saturday. JD(S), which hoped to play kingmaker, bagged 19 seats.

Independent candidates KH Puttaswamy Gowda won from Gauribidanur with a margin of 37,286 votes against Congress’ NH Shivashankara Reddy, and Latha Mallikarjun won from Harapanahalli seat with a margin of 13,845 votes against BJP’s G Karunakara Reddy. Also, Darshan Puttannaiah of Sarvodaya Karnataka Paksha won from Melukote with a margin of 10,862 votes against JD(S) candidate CS Putturaju and G Janardhan Reddy of Kalyana Rajya Pragathi Paksha won from Gangawati seat defeating Congress’ Iqbal Ansari by 8,266 votes.

Karnataka has 224 constituencies spanning six regions -- Bengaluru, Central, Coastal, Hyderabad-Karnataka, Mumbai-Karnataka, and Southern Karnataka or Old Mysore region. Mumbai-Karnataka and Southern Karnataka are the largest regions of the state and consist of 50 and 51 Assembly seats respectively.  

Congress National President Mallikarjun Kharge on Saturday said that the party's impressive performance in the Karnataka election is the victory of "Janata Janardhan". He confirmed that all newly-elected MLAs have been asked to come to Bengaluru in the evening and once 'High Command' sends observers, other processes will follow.

Meanwhile, Karnataka Congress President DK Shivakumar got emotional as he thanked the party cadres for the important victory. He also informed that all newly-elected MLAs asked to come to Bengaluru this evening, "Once 'High Command' sends observers, other processes will follow", PTI reported.

Karnataka registered a "record" turnout of 73.19 per cent in the voting on May 10.

Notably, the results assume significance as the BJP has now lost its foothold in the south and will face a tough challenge in the upcoming Telangana election.

For the Congress, the Karnataka result will give it a much-needed boost in two of the only three states it holds power now and where elections are due later this year -- Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan. The victory will also give the Congress bragging rights as the party tries to cobble together like-minded Opposition parties to form some sort of an anti-BJP front to take on the PM Modi juggernaut in the Lok Sabha election next year.